A group of 70 experts from across the globe has developed a new diet that could prevent 40,000 early deaths a day and slash food-related planet-heating pollution in half.
The "planetary health diet" allows modest meat consumption while remaining adaptable to local tastes, according to the Guardian, which summarized the diet and the corresponding report. However, all versions of the diet advise eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and whole grains than most people worldwide currently do.
Plant-based diets come with a number of health benefits, according to Harvard Health. For instance, the Mediterranean diet has been correlated with a reduced risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and certain cancers.
One study found that mixing it up can increase these benefits. According to researchers, a plant-based diet that features a diverse range of sources across food groups produces stronger cardiometabolic health benefits, such as improved blood sugar markers, cholesterol levels, diet quality, and higher nutritional intake.
Plant-based diets are also better for the planet, as the new study suggests. According to one Environmental Protection Agency report, summarized by the Center for Biological Diversity, agriculture is the United States' leading source of pollution caused by methane and nitrous oxide — two of the primary planet-warming gases — and animal agriculture is responsible for 36% of the methane.
The Guardian reported that food production is also the leading cause of wildlife and forest destruction and water pollution.
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"What we put on our plates can save millions of lives, cut billions of tonnes of emissions, halt the loss of biodiversity, and create a fairer food system," Johan Rockström, who co-chaired the EAT-Lancet Commission that produced the report, told the news outlet.
Commission co-chair Walter Willett of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health added, "This is not a deprivation diet. This is something that could be delicious, aspirational, and healthy. It also allows for cultural diversity and individual preferences, providing flexibility."
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